Razor blade



1935- s. J. DURITZA 2,019,l22

RAZOR BLADE Filed Nov. 29, 1930 675 /7403 Midi/21. 6',

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAZOR BLADE Application November 29, 1930, Serial No. 498,927

4 Clams. (Cl. 30-12) My present invention relates generally to razor blades and more particularly to the type of razor in which the shaving edge of the blade is to be received against front aligning stops to give such edge its predetermined position or relationship. Example of such type of razors are those known today as the "Gem" and the Ever- Ready".

Where razors of this character are dropped on the fioor or brought suddenly against a hard surface, it is generally the corners either of the blade seat or of the clamping cover where such clamping cover is employed, which receives the force of the impact, and may result in the bending of such corners. Where such bent corners engage the blade either at or adjacent to the shaving edge there may be the tendency in such a case for the shaving edge to be distorted from its true straight alignment for its most efficient shaving.

It is one of the objects of my invention to so arrange, treat or construct sections of the blade that this tendency to distortion under these conditions will be minimized or wholly eliminated.

I Will, for purposes of convenience illustrate and describe my invention as embodied in a blade of the type employed for the Ever-Ready and the Gem razors. In this type of razor, the blade is received upon a seat or saddle which presents along its front edge, guard teeth of'the conventional character and upstanding lugs at each side of the guard edge which serves as front stops for engaging the extreme ends of the shaving edge of the blade. Associated with the seat or saddle is a clamping member in the form of a cover which, in the aforementioned type of razor, is pivoted to the razor seat or saddle. To assemble the blade with the razor it is generally the practice to place the blade on the saddle in an 'advanced position so that the opposite corners of the shaving edge engage with and abut against these ront stops at the guard edge, which stops thus serve to give the shaving edge a definite shaving position. As a result of this arrangement, the opposite ends or extreme portions o-f the shaving edge of the blade serve no shaving function and the active shaving edge is that portion between these. extreme corners.

It is another object of my invention to so arrange, treat or construct the material adjacent those portions of the shaving edge which do not function, nameiy those portions which abut against the ront stops, that any distortion of,

either or both corners of the saddle will not be transmitted to the active shaving edge.

In the type of razor aforementioned, in which, as stated, a cover clamping member is employed, the efi'ect of any bending or distortion of either or both of the corners of the cover member also will be minimized or counter-acted by the char- 5 acter given to the above mentioned corner portions of the shaving edge.

Blades hitherto received in the razors known as the "Gem" and the "Ever-Ready, have only a single shaving edge and have about the opposite edge a reenforcing back, the purpose of which among others is to give to the blade as a whole, added rigidity, and to increase the ease With which the blade can be handled. v

It is another object of my invention to so arrange this reenforcing back as to increase the rigidity of that portion of the shaving edge which has above been pointed out as functioning in the process of shaving.

It is another object of my invention to combine with the feature of blade sections especially arranged for compensating for distortion of the razor parts, of a reenforcing back of the character referred to which will co-act specifically therewith to maintain the active portion of the shaving edge undistorted.

For the attainment of these objects and such other objeots as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated embodments of my invention in the drawing wherein- Figure 1 is a plan View of a blade made in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 of another embodiment;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the blade of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plane view of another embodiment.

For purpose of convenience of illustration, I have shown my invention as embodied in a blade of the type shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,739,280. As disclosed in the aforementioned patent, the blade ID is herein also illustrated as provided With the central slot l I, and the side slots |2 and I3 although it will'be understood, of course, that my invention does not necessarily call for all of these features.

The bl-ade IU, is intended to be advanced against front stops M associated with the razor guard, by means engaging the lower walls of the slots |2 and I3, all as set forth in the aforementioned patent, although it Will be understood that where the slots l2 and I3 are dispensed with, the adv-ancing action of the blade can be effected by means engaging the rear edge thereof. 5

Upon viewing Figure 1 of the drawing, it will be observed that those portions of the shaving edge which are in registration with and are brought into abutting relation to the front stops M do not function during the actual shaving operation and I have applied the reference character I5 to these portions of the shaving edge and will hereinafter refer to such portions as non-functioning portions of the shaving edge. The portion of the shaving edge' *between'and inside of the front stops M is the active portion which actually does the shaving and to this portion I have applied the reference character' |6 and will hereinafter refer to it as the active or functioning portion of the' shaving edge; At a point that approximates the inner ends of *the non-functioning portions |5 of the shaving'edge, I show the blade of Figure las provided with slits or cuts IT and IB directed generally in- Wardly from the shaving edge. shown in' the drawing these slits or cuts Hand IB as 'substantially at right angles to the shaving edge it -will be understood that this angle can be increased or decreased as the case may be to meet any problems or'any particu-lar-'situa-ti'ons that 'may arise. These cuts are shown as extended inwardly for a substantial .distance so as toprovide blade 'sections 20 and 2| each of which is defined on one endby a non-functioning portion of the shaving edge l5;-on one side by a portion of the side of theblade and on the opposite side' by the cut* |1 or |8 as the case may be.

Where a razor of the type herein referred to, drops, it is a well established fact that it will fall either on 'one of the corners of the guard edge or on one of the corners of' the 'clamp'ing cover and either on or adjacent one of 'the front stops 14. If this fall results in a .deformation ofone of the aforementioned 'parts, this *deformation would tend ordinarily to distort the nonfunctioning section of the shaving edge opposite thereto and this distortion would be transmitted to the' active shaving edge. By providing 'the cuts I'I and IB as-hereinabove expiained, the distortion will be taken up' by the blade'sections 20 or 2 as the case may be and will' not be' transmitted to the' active shaving edge IB.

- In the modification of Figure 2 I show the slits I 1' and IB' as directed inwardly 'from the side and in 'this' case the 'non-functioning' blade 'section I5' will be defined at one end'by the nonfunctioning section of the shaving edge at'the opposite end by' a slit IT' or IB', as the case'may be, and 'on'one sideby a portion of 'the'side of the blade.

The-slits I'l, IT', 18 and la' of Figures 1 and 2 can be formed by shearing through the metal before the tempering or hardening process.

'In Figure 4: ofthe 'drawing I show a slight modification in which the 'slit's 11 are formed' by an operation'similar to a'sawing operation soas to provideslots of'r-ather small width and I further 'show*these slits' as angled upwardly from the side walls. Thereby it wii-1 be obvious that fiexure of the tongues so formed, due to stresses at their ends becomes more uniform, so-that breakageis'avoided. In all other respects the 'embodiment of'Figure 4 corresponds to those'of Figures 1 and 2.

r -In' each of the aforementioned 'emb'odimenta I- show 'aback 30 for theblade generally'of the type now employed in the "Gem" and Ever- Ready razors. This back is a piece of relatively heavy metal bent about the back or nonshaving 'fun'ct'ioning shaving edge.

While I have edge of the blade. Upon viewing the various figures, it Will be observed that this back 30 is provided on its opposite faces With the extensions 3| which are shorter than the width of the blade,

th-at is than the dimension of the blade parallel 5 to the shaving edge. These narrow portions 3| are each defined on its sides by the walls 32 and 33. These projections or extensions, it will be observed, project forwardly toward the shaving edge and fall within the lines defined by the slits 10 when extended. This narrowed extension 3| will A serve to give added rigidity to that portion 'of =the shaving edge between the slits and which portion has hereinbefore been referred to as the In other words, just 15 as *the 'sections 20 and 2| serve to prevent the transmission to' the functioning shaving edge of 'an-y distortion so also the sections 3| of the reinforced back cooperate With the functioning portion' l'6' of the blade edge to maintain it flat.

' It'willbe understood that the reinforcing member 30 can have the extensions function as set forth, even though it varies generally from the type'now'empioyed in the' aforementioned types of' razor, and without the presencein the blade 86 of 'the slits IT, or I'l' or I'l or their equivalents.

"Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Lett'ers Patent isr 1; A'blade defined by a substantially straight 80 shaving edge along one end and side walls at an angle the'reto'to provide corner portions at each end -of'the shaving edge, and slits extending oblquely from said side walls and in inward' diverging relation to said shaving edge and spaced 35 from said shaving edge, thereby forming' tonguelike corner portions one side of which is formed by the shavin'g edge, said corner portions being' of greater resiliency than the portion of the shaving edge therebetween so as to form impact or' shock 40 absorbing' areas.

' 2.' A wafer type Safety razor blade of rectangular shap'e having a cutting edge formed along one edge' 'thereof, reinforcing means for rendering the middle portion of said shaving edge relatively 5 rigid and aslit in the blade positioned adjacent each* end of the shaving edge for rendering the end portions of said shaving edge relatively flexible', each'of said slits terminating .at a sideof the 'blade adjacent one end of the shaving edge, 50 and being spaced from the shaving edge, and disposed at' an angle to the shaving edge, whereby the tongue formed therebetween and the shaving edge is of progressively inoreasing width from its free'end portion to its base and whereby fiexing of the tongue due to deforming stresses on its endwill be more nearly uniform throughout the length of the tongue. b

3. A blade provided with a shaving edge at one end and intended to have its end portions engage 50 front stops of a razor and a reinforcing member on the end of the blade opposite the shaving edge, said reinforcing member having a portion thereof positioned substantially symmetrically of the length of the shaving edge and of less length than the shaving edge whereby that portion of the shaving edge intermediate the end portions thereof will have its rigidity increased, the end portions of the shaving edge being so arranged and constructed .as not to transmit any distortion thereof to the portion of the shaving edge therebetween and said end portions of the shaving edge being located on portions of the blade separated from the body of said blade by slits spaced 76 from the shaving edge and extending inwardly from the side edges of the blade.

4. A Safety razor blade of the Wafer type of substantially rectangular shape and having a shaving edge on one of the longitudinal edges thereof and a rigid backing applied to the opposite edge to rigidify the rear portion of the blade, and also having a pluraiity of slits extending inwardly from each of the sides thereof so as to 1o divide the portions of the blade adjacent said sides into at least three tongues, and said backing having portions thereof extending into certain of said tongues, and said backing, where it extends into said tongues, having portions out away so as to reduce the rigidifying efiect of said backing on said tongue, Whereby a blade will be provided having a relatively rigid middle'portion and side portions relatively flexible throughout a substantial portion of their extent.

STEPHEN J. DURITZA. 

